Alynda Segarra isn’t interested in standing still. Over the years, Hurray for the Riff Raff has evolved from a folk-punk outfit into something bigger, weirder, and more expansive. With The Navigator marking a pivotal shift, and their latest work pushing even further, Segarra is constantly looking for ways to make the music match the world they see.
“I’ve been trying to think on it since Small Town Heroes came out,” Segarra says. “It was a good couple of years of me thinking, okay, there’s so much I have to work on—as a singer, as a songwriter. I had done a lot of albums that were experiments in songwriting, where every song sounded a little different. I really wanted to come up with a cohesive sound.”
The lightbulb moment came with Rodriguez. Yes, that Rodriguez—the long-lost Detroit singer-songwriter rediscovered decades later.
“When I heard Rodriguez, it was like, ‘Oh—I’ll just make street poetry that sounds like the city but also has Latin influence,’” Segarra explains. “I can still be myself while bringing in these other influences.”
Building a Sound That Feels Like a City
Of course, ideas don’t always translate easily into music. Finding the sound meant a lot of trial and error.
“There were certain songs that were harder than others,” Segarra says. “We did maybe four versions of ‘Living in the City’ because we just couldn’t get that feel right. It had to be this walking pace, like you’re wandering through the back alleys, seeing all these beautiful, resilient people at the same time.”
It wasn’t always the complex songs that were the hardest. “I always find it’s the ones you think are gonna be so simple that are the hardest to record,” they add. “The ones where you’re like, ‘Oh, we just gotta groove on that’—yeah, good luck grooving.”
On the flip side, some moments just arrived, fully formed. “‘14 Floors’—that was like, ‘Get ready, we’re recording this right now or I might not do it,’” Segarra says. “Sometimes the magic shows up, and you better be ready for it.”
Writing Songs in the Middle of the Fire
Hurray for the Riff Raff has always been a band engaged with the world around them. Segarra’s songwriting has long wrestled with social issues, personal identity, and the ways those two things intersect. But lately? Writing has been harder.
“Right now, it feels like a hard time for me to write,” Segarra admits. “I feel very overwhelmed. There’s just so much happening every day—it’s hard to be reflective when you’re still in the middle of the fire.”
Luckily, the songs were already there. “I feel very grateful that I have these songs that I wrote during a more reflective period,” they say. “Right now, it’s more about playing—being with the audience, singing these songs that already exist, and letting them live.”
Who Is The Navigator?
Segarra’s 2017 album The Navigator cemented their ability to blend storytelling, political themes, and deep-rooted folk traditions. But who, exactly, is the Navigator?
“It takes a lot of different forms,” Segarra says. “But for me, it’s this voice saying, ‘People are complicated. People are different than you. And that’s a good thing.’”
It’s also about something bigger—something that transcends the individual.
“To me, it’s the sound of our ancestors saying, ‘Hey, you guys, it’s time to make things right. It’s time to heal and be honest with each other, because we’re not getting to those new planets anytime soon.’”
How Do You Aggressively Fight for Peace?
One of the most striking lines in Rican Beach—the first track released from The Navigator—is “I’ll keep fighting ‘til the end.” But what does the end look like?
“For me, it’s not the end—it’s just my end,” Segarra says. “But also, this idea of ‘fighting’ is funny, because what I really mean is, ‘I will aggressively stand up for peace and justice.’”
Yes, that sounds like a contradiction. Segarra knows it.
“How do you be aggressively peaceful?” they laugh. “But that’s a real thing. Being determined. Being focused. Choosing peace and justice every day, even when it’s exhausting.”
For Segarra, that’s the goal—using the time they have to leave things better than they found them.
“I want to make sure that for the future generations—the kids growing up right now—we’re doing something,” they say. “That’s what it means to me.”
Listen to the interview above and then check out the video for "Hungry Ghost" below.
